West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-21

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from the Standard Oil Company is
to vote against the Democrats in
1888. It is frequently said that
money or some other corrupt means
will obtain as many Republican
votes as Mr.. Camden may require
/ do not believe this is so, and
for the reason that Just so certain as
there is good cause for suspicion an
investigation will be prosecuted with
relentlessness and intelligenceth that
must bring out the facts. In other
words, the man who takes bride
will go to the penitentiary, and the
larger the bride the greater the risk
of exposure. The state of feeling is
such that / firmly believe the Legis-
lature would, should the occasion
arise, offer reward of 100000 for
proof sufficient to convict one OF its
members of receiving compensation
for his vote for Senator. There is
another matter worthy Of notice.
One cannot help observing that the
Republicans in the Legislature,
taken as body, are vast improve
ment upon those we generally find
in that body. There is no DISCUS
ing the fact that they compare very
favorably with our men. i happen
ed to see q letter an Ohio man was
writing home to his paper yesterday
and he named as among the most
influential members, Lucas, Chew,
Flournoy, Shaw, Sydenstricker, Me
Clung, Harding, Chipley, Hiner,
Gorrell, Kinsey, and Price among
the Democrats, and Maxwell, Daw-
son, Hagans, Duval, McWhorter,
| Whitaker and Hoke among the Re
publicans. My Ohio friend was not
as we'll advised as be might be con
corning West Virginia politics, but
l mention this simply as straw
showing the course Of the wind. 1t
/ should be remembered that he form
ed his opinions upon what he heard
said in the corridors Of the hotels.
I Were it not invidious to draw dis
| tinction / would make a somewhat
different list to include those he
omitted.
The opinion is growing that forty
! five days are not sufficient to enable
a Legislature to act intelligentlv. 1t
requires at least one month for a
body of men to make that personal
acquaintance which is necessary fol-
the free interchange of views. I'm
fortunately the members are scat
tered over this town in the different
boarding houses, and they seldom
meet except while the Houses are in
session or when the committees con-
yene. 1t is obviously impracticable
to accomplish intelligent legislation
without investigation and without
consultation. Two or three members
will agree upon proposition but
before their views become generally
known the session is over and the
next Legislature has to deal with
every proposition without the slight
est assistance from those who; at
the preceding Legislature, consider
ed the same subjects. This is strik-
ingly illustrated by the condition OF
the bill which was prepared last
session to amend the assessment
law. 1t will be remembered that q
subcommittee spent nearly SIX
weeks in this work. Every section
of the bill was carefully considered,
but when it was ready to be reported
only few days of the session re-
NAMED, and before its merits he
came known to those who were not
on the committee the session was
over. 1t is the Judgment of the
more intelligent that there should
be an extra session next fall, because
during the vacation the unfinished
business can be discussed and con
sidered. There is very large pri-
vate interest in this State which
thrives and finds great profit in the
maj administration of public affairs.
For example, those who now escape
taxation do not wish the law SO
amended as to reach the property
which now escapes, and this private
interest exerts every influence to
prevent intelligent legislation. The
most effective way to thwart such
legislation is to prevent an extra
session, and they lose no opportuni-
ty to discourage it. On the other